NASCAR Sprint Cup Auto Club 400 at Fontana on FoX - Sunday - 3/25/12 - 230pm ET

NASCAR.com ^ | 3/22/12

[NormsRevenge]

This week, it's Springtime racing in Southern California and the Auto Club 400 and the Nationwide Royal Purple 300.

Grab a drink and a towel and let's hang with the movie stars and lay around by the pool.

Prayers for all our active duty and reserve troops, retirees and their families and this nation in these turbulent times.

[NormsRevenge]

Welcome to the weekly Nascar at FR thread!

This Week - The Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway

March 25, 2012



Click for Nascar race & news threads at FR

BROADCAST	DATE	TIME	EVENT
	03|23|12	3 p.m.	Auto Club 400 practice
	03|23|12	4:30 p.m.	Royal Purple 300 final practice
	03|23|12	7 p.m.	Auto Club 400 qualifying
	03|24|12	12:30 p.m.	Auto Club 400 practice
	03|24|12	1:30 p.m.	Royal Purple 300 qualifying
	03|24|12	3:30 p.m.	Auto Club 400 final practice
	03|24|12	5 p.m.	Royal Purple 300
	03|25|12	2:30 p.m.	Auto Club 400

FRFL'rs: Deadline to select your drivers is Mar 23 2:00am PDT

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California Speedway
TUNE IN NASCAR Broadcast Schedule

California Speedway California Auto Club Speedway has a history that you might expect a track just 50 miles from Hollywood to have.

The speedway sits on a 568-acre site that once hosted the first steel mill located west of the Rocky Mountains, Kaiser Steel Mill.

The mill produced the steel that helped build the Liberty ships used by the Allies to win World War II.

Click to visit web site




Track Facts
Banking/Turns: 14 degrees
Distance: 2.0 miles
Shape: D-shaped Oval

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The FR Canteen
24 by 7

[NormsRevenge]

The Auto Club 400 at Fontana race thread is up Ping!

[NormsRevenge]

Six-race suspension of Knaus, Malec overturned
Johnson given back 25 driver points; fine, probation still stand for crew chief

http://www.nascar.com/news/120320/cknaus-jjohnson-rhendrick-win-final-appeal/index.html

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook overturned on Tuesday an earlier ruling by the governing body that had threatened to cripple the No. 48 team of driver Jimmie Johnson for the 2012 season.

In doing so, Middlebrook rescinded the loss of 25 Sprint Cup championship driver and car owner points assessed, and also rescinded six-week suspensions levied against crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec. The only penalty that remained in place was a $100,000 fine for Knaus — while both he and Malec will remain on probation until May 9.

With the restoration of the 25 driver points to his total, Johnson made a jump Tuesday from 17th to 11th in the point standings heading into Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

Team owner Rick Hendrick spearheaded the final appeal Tuesday, along with Knaus. They met for about six hours with Middlebrook and NASCAR officials who defended their decisions to levy the penalties in the first place — before Middlebrook eventually made his ruling at about 3:45 p.m. ET.

[cld51860]

The sentence did not fit the crime to begin with...

[Not now, Not ever!]

What was the “Crime”?

[Venturer]

I hope NASCAR has put one of those huge bumper thingies on the back of their jet drier in case Montoya decides to ram another one.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

In regards to the rain postponed Daytona 500, I thought there was a mechanical problem with Montoya’s car which caused him to lose control. If so, Montoya had no choice but to go along for the ride.....in this case, the “ride” took him into the back of a jet drier with 400 gallons of fuel.

Is it normal for the jet driers to be on the track while a race is in progress? Anyone know?

[TYVets]

Is it normal for the jet driers to be on the track while a race is in progress? Anyone know?

The only time the jet dryers would be out is under a yellow flag condition and the cars are behind the pace car.

Montoya may have been in the pits and was in the process of catching up to the back of the pack.

[Roccus]

When yer car breaks, not much you can do but hang on.

That being said, I’m sure the driver of the second pace car that NASCAR has ruled to escort and run interference for the dryers wishes HE had one of them “huge bumper thingies”.

I wonder how bad someone has to screw up to land THAT assignment.

[Pete-R-Bilt]

Gonna be in the 70’s here all weekend, but it looked like you were supposed to get more rain.

What’s up with that?

I feel some shooting in the desert and a few motorcycle rides coming on...

[Roccus]

Is it normal for the jet driers to be on the track while a race is in progre

No...and that wasn't the case at Daytona. Field was under caution. Juablo felt a vibration in the drive train and pitted. Crew couldn't see anything and sent him back out to catch the field. Car broke. CRASH!

[Wurlitzer]

I sure hope we start to see more humans and fewer empty seats. Bristol was a shock as it looked like 40-50% of the seats were empty.

I have found the cost of a race ticket to be about the same as a ticket to a high end show or concert but the rip off by hotels is almost criminal.

[TYVets]

I should have said that jet dryers and other safety trucks are on the track only under red flag conditions (the pace car is stopped as well as the race cars) as well as during yellow flag conditions.

Montoya had been in the pits then went back out onto the track, but radioed in that he was having a vibration.

A YouTube video at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB3IcGqe50k

[Gettin Betta]

What a schedule. Daytona Fl. to Phoenix AZ. to Las Vegas NV. then back east to Bristol TN, then back to the west coast. I wouldn't want to pay that fuel bill!

[NormsRevenge]

Good luck, sounds like fun! Weather? It’s the darn jetstream or sumthin’.. it’s shifted.. globull varming or something I reckun.. probably why nascar has gone squirrelly of late too..

we need the water, just not now. I need to pull more weeds.. between rain delays.

[NormsRevenge]

They are definitely putting in some miles..

a moving experience like few others..

Total trans-formation
Clockwork precision required for detailed NASCAR hauler transportation process

http://www.nascar.com/news/120321/inside-nascar-furniture-row-hauler-preparation/index.html

[AGreatPer]

Take a look at the humungus storm that is going to hit the area on Sunday.

No way they race Sunday.

http://www.weatherstreet.com/CloudsPrecip.htm

[NormsRevenge]

Maybe Obama and Deniro can swing by, that ought to bring out sunny skies. ;-)

[Gettin Betta]

Thanks for the link. Interesting article. I saw the tail end of a piece on this subject on the show “American Trucker” on Speed Channel. They are the un-sung heros of the sport!

[happydogx2]

Alright! Thanks for the work & the pingy-thingie.

It has snowed in Central Oregon every day since we got back from Vegas. I think it’s a sign..